The accuracy of your scale can determine whether your business is profitable or not. If your scale is not properly calibrated, you could be giving away product for free or overcharging your clients for what they purchase. Either option is not desirable if you want to maintain good customer relations. Whether you are using a digital high capacity scale, a portable scale, a floor scale, or platform scales, keeping your scale as accurate as possible is of critical importance.
Old-style mechanical scales used pivots, springs, counterbalances and levers to measure weight, so they could easily become inaccurate. In order to preserve the utmost accuracy, they often would be calibrated at the beginning of every shift. Digital scales, on the other hand, use electronics and strain gauge-based transducers or load cells that move only a fraction of a millimeter when weight is applied. Consequently, they require calibration less frequently. Still your scale should be calibrated on a regular schedule, if only to maintain your customer’s confidence.
While your owners’ manual will provide you with the proper calibration procedures for your particular model, the standard steps are pretty much the same for all digital scales:
1. Turn the scale on and wait between 30 seconds and 1 minute for it to cycle up.
2. Find the calibration button on your scale. It may be labeled “Function” or “FUN”, “CAL”, “MODE” or “CAL/MODE”.
3. Press the calibration and hold it until the readout screen changes to “0” or “000” or “CAL”. Continue holding down the button until the scale enters calibration mode. When it does, the screen will read “CAL” followed immediately by a number.
4. Place the calibration weight that came with your scale on the weight plate. Depending on the capacity of your scale, this can be anything from a few ounces to 1 lb. or more. If you have misplaced this weight, you usually can get a new one from wherever you purchased the original scale, or go to the manufacturer’s website and order one online.
5. Let the calibration weight remain on the plate for at least 5 seconds.
6. Once more press the calibration button and hold it down until the screen to flashes “CAL” or “END”. Once you see this message, remove the calibration weight and turn the digital scale off. Leave it powered off for at least 30 seconds. When you turn it back on, the scale will have been properly calibrated.
It’s a good idea to keep a log of the date and time whenever you calibrate your scale. If you have multiple scales, it’s also a good idea to calibrate them all at the same time according to a regular schedule, such as weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.